Cruel Love
by OriginalMyhard
Summary: Ah, Keenan and Donia. A classic Romeo and Juliet relationship; at least it was until Keenan decides to abruptly end it...WTF?


_Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the fabulous Melissa Marr! WHY CAN'T I BE HER?!?!?!_

_A/N I'll keep it short. Just had a little inspiration, I know it'll be kinda lame. AND I HAVEN'T READ FRAGILE ETERNITY YET SO DON'T GET ON MY CASE OR GIVE ANYTHING AWAY!!!! And I guess this takes place in between Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange, before Niall goes all weird. Which is still cool. *drools* Enjoy! ~A_

**Keenan's POV**

I can sense her. She's so close.

My heart is pounding and the Summer Girls are doing little to change that simple fact. All they do is simper about me, pressing in on all sides. Suffocating, really. It's severely annoying, but I can't exactly tell them to leave me alone. They can't. I'm the one who gives them life, keeps them going when no one else can.

"Settle, Keenan," Niall tells me, places an unwavering hand on my shoulders. The girls swoon at his appearance.

"Please, take them off my hands," I wave dismissively at the scantily clad girls. Niall rolls his eyes at the angry outcries from the girls.

"Sir, I think Aislinn would be rather unappreciative if you suddenly took an interest in your work…" I take an angry but playful swing at Niall and he laughingly dodges it.

"Go have fun, girls." They pout but go giggling with Niall anyway.

"Be gentle to her!" He yells over his shoulder. I scowl at his receding back.

I can just barely hear footsteps outside my loft. My heart speeds to a hummingbird pace.

"Hey, Keenan." Aislinn. Incorrect.

"What are you doing here?" I can't help the anger that leaks into my voice.

"Erm…coming to see if there's anything new…What are _you_ doing here?" Aislinn brushes back her long, dark hair.

"Oh…nothing. Aren't you supposed to be with Seth?" Generally, I don't approve of my Queen and the human. But right now, I'd give anything for her to be with him.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be minding your own business?" Aislinn snaps back. I growl at her total disregard for authority figure.

"I'm sorry, my _Queen_, but I'm rather busy right now. If you could come back later…?" I trail off, not bothering to hide the threat in my tone.

"Busy. Hm. Seems to me that you're sitting around like a lazy ass. Surprise!" She flops down onto a couch, curling her legs underneath her. "Now, we need to deal with all the Dark Court faeries. They're starting some kind of crazy uprising…"

I start to ignore her. She's not saying anything I don't know anyways.

"KEENAN!" She screeches. I snap out of my reverie of who I _really_ want to be with right now and stare innocently up at Aislinn. "Were you even listening to me?"

"Nope." I pop the 'p'. She sighs, running a hand through her dark yet sun streaked hair.

"Why are you spacing out so bad today?" She regards me carefully, one hand still twisting slowly through her hair. Dawning crosses her face. "Oh. _Oh_. You're waiting for _her_ aren't you?"

"I don't know what you mean," I sniff as indignantly as I can. But I can't hide anything from my Queen.

"That's so cute. Well, I'll just leave you then." She grins and skips to the door out of the loft. "Just keep it rated PG. I don't wanna hear how the Summer Girls had to rip her apart." I smirk at her and push a gust of Summer Wind towards her. "Geez, I'm going, I'm going." She winks and closes the door.

Finally. Now I just have to wait.

And wait I do. I wait. And I wait. And I wait.

I wait so long I pace around the loft five hundred and seventy-three times. I wait so long, Niall comes out about eight times from the Summer Girls to check on me. And Lord knows he can be distracted by them for hours on end.

Late into the night, when my eyelids start to droop, there comes a knock at my door. I'm there in a split second, holding my breath. The knob turns and swings inward, bringing with it a rush of chilly air.

"You're here," I breath, my hands, ready to caress her, fall to my sides in happiness. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and trust me, I've seen a lot of beautiful things. Her icy blue hair, frostbitten cheeks, iced over eyes. Everything about her reminds me an ice storm; dangerous, gorgeous, and untouchable.

"Why wouldn't I?" Donia asks, reaching to my face and streaking a single finger against my cheek. Where she touches, fog spills. It burns me, the deep, biting cold, but she's worth it. She's worth every ice burn, every frozen scar, every ounce of pain. I'd give her my heart on a platter if I could.

Donia sticks her defrosted finger in her mouth. I grin apologetically. "Don't worry, I'm used to it. I kinda like it," she says, taking my by the shirt and pulling me out into the hallway. I slam shut the door and push her against in, burying my face in her cold hair. The room is filled with the sound of sizzling water and the hiss of an extinguished fire.

My fingers inch down Donia's face, leaving a burnt trail behind. She doesn't mind, just as I don't mind her stinging cold destroying my fire. As gently as I can, I cup her chin, lift it, and kiss her lips, softly at first, then with the intense feeling I've been waiting to release. She kisses me back just as fervently, her fingers threading through my hair and yanking me closer. I pull back before she does and stare at the burnt edges of her lips.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, my finger hovering above the burns, wanting to help, but knowing that one more touch would do more damage.

"Me too," she laughs, one nail traces what I imagine as black frost creeping across my own lips. My eyes linger on her lips, then move to her cheeks, her neck, her arms, her sides (barely clear through her thin dress), all covered in charred scars. I'm disgusted by it, disgusted by myself. How can I love someone so much, but hurt them more simply to fulfill my own selfish needs?

I pull away from Donia's slight embrace. "What?" She asks, eyebrows knit together in concern.

"I--" I begin, then shake my head. "I can't do this."

"Right now? Because I can come back later, if you want…"

"No, it's not that."

"Is it those _fucking _Summer Girls?" Jealousy is plain in her words. As if they could ever compare to her.

"No."

"Then what are you talking about?" She grabs for my hands. I pull away before she can. I almost give in, almost submit to this atrocity at the wounded look on her face.

"This."

"What?" Her eyes are wide.

"I can't do this any more! Can't you see what it's doing to you?" I yell.

"What are you--" I stop her by yanking up her arm. I press my hand on her skin as hard as I can without breaking it. When I pull a way, a solid, blackening handprint stains her pale skin.

"This. I can't do this to you any more. I can't hurt you like this." And then she laughs. Actually _laughs_.

"You're crazy. You're not hurting me any different than I'm hurting you. We're even. And like I said, it's not a bad pain." She reaches for my face. "It's not important." I let her hand rest on my cheek for a split second, then wrench away.

"It's _not_ the same. I won't keep doing this for myself." I keep my eyes on the floor. I really can't believe I'm doing this right now. I love Donia, more than the world itself. When I'm away from her, my heart aches, and when I'm near her, I feel like everything has come into bloom. Separating myself from her like I'm doing now can only result in pain for me. If it saves her, though, I'll do it. I won't let her stay with me just because she feels like she's obligated. It's not fair for her.

"Keenan…" She ducks her head under mine, staring up at me with those innocent, intense eyes. I have to look away to keep myself from being sucked in. "What are you saying?"

"We can't do this any more. Okay? _This_," I motion towards us and the burns scarring her body, "is going to stop. Now." Donia visibly crumbles.

"Stop. You stop right this second. I lov--"

"Don't say it. I know you're doing this more from obligation that love." I sneer.

"_Obligation_? You really think this is _obligation_?" She screeches. I peek up at her; her hands are balled at her side and her expression is hurt bordering on furious.

"I _know_ it is. And I'm telling you, you don't have to do it." I grit my jaw.

"You're fucking crazy!" She exclaims.

"Please. Just leave." I plead, not wanting to drag this out any further.

"I'm not going to leave!" She's really angry now. Frost is dripping off of her and swirling around the two of us.

"_Go_," I order. I invoke the powers of Summer wind and pushed her far down the hall, opening the loft door in the same motion. "Stay away."

The last sight I see before the door slams closed is the single frozen tear that drops down Donia's face and onto the floor.

_A/N Okay, not exactly how I expected it to turn out, but at least now it'll be more than a one-shot! I know, it's kinda…dramatic. I've been writing a lot of that lately…sorry. I'll see what I can do about something funnier. Anyway, Fave and Review! _


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